Hello there

[Sansaflowers]

Hi everyone,
I'm very new here! Here's a bit of background:
I'm 20, in my second year of uni and though I have had bouts of bad anxiety in the past, this year at uni and especially recently have been awful. I have not been to the doctors specifically about anxiety, but have had myself put on the waiting list for councilling at uni (suggested by the doctor, doubt I'll get any help before the end of the term though). Basically, I feel on edge all the time, and there doesn't even have to be a trigger that sets me off for a panic attack. When my anxiety is at its worst I shake and twitch, feel intense nausea to the point where I have my head down the toilet (tmi? sorry :P) but no vomiting. Upset stomach and constant rushing to the toilet, intense stomach cramps, chills, disorientation, heart palpatations and I feel like there is something in my throat I can't swallow. Basically, I feel like I'm going mad, and like everyone else thinks I am going mad. My boyfriend lives about two hours away so I don't see him often, but he is very supportive, it's just hard to explain to him how I feel. Or anyone, for that matter! I just get "well, why don't you just calm down?" or "don't worry then", which though they're trying to help doesn't really help...
Apologies if this is too much information to put here! I've never really posted in a forum. Basically I am looking for help and advice. I feel like this is slowly chipping away at my life, and lately like I'll never be "normal" (for me anyway, haha) again. It's starting to affect my work at uni where I had previously been doing well and I desperately don't want that to happen.

So, yes...hello! Apologies for the downer. I could go into more depth, but this is far too long already, and I don't want to bore you further. Hope you are all having a lovely day. Many thanks x

[hanj16]

Hey there,

A big welcome to the site. You're not alone and I'm sure you'll find lots of support on here. I'm 23, I did 2 years away at uni and had terrible social anxiety that really peeked in my second year. Sadly I couldn't cope any longer but am hoping to finish my degree through the OU. You sound like you are trying to get yourself help which is great, that was my downfall I think. Do you have supportive friends?

If you ever need to chat drop me a message.

Wishing you the very best
Hannah :bighug1:

[BobbyDog]

A very big warm :welcome: to you.

[ChristopherT]

Hey, great that you are looking to seek help... I wish I had done while I was at Uni. It never occurred to me to seek help... Anyway I think the fact you are seek help, as Hannah says definitely seems like a smart decision, and one that you will benefit from in the long term.

[StaffordEd]

Hi Sansaflowers

Welcome.

Firstly you are not alone. Take a look around the site and you will see plenty of people just like you. We are all in it together and here for each other. That's the beauty of it, you have to be a suffer to understand. The outside world understand cuts and bruises because they can be seen. They cannot see what goes on in the mind.

Secondly you are not going mad. All that is happening is that your mind is taking a holiday and running riot. It is having fun at your expense. With a little expert help and TLC you will soon have it under control again. Don't forget your mind has control over most of your bodily functions, So when you have cramps, palpitations and the need to run to the toilet your mind is telling you that is what you have to do, and it is no fun.

Have you heard of Cognitive therapy. It may be worth looking into. It helps you regain control of your mind and thoughts.

Cognitive therapy (CT) is a type of psychotherapy developed by American psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck. CT is one of the therapeutic approaches within the larger group of cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) and was first expounded by Beck in the 1960s. Cognitive therapy seeks to help the patient overcome difficulties by identifying and changing dysfunctional thinking, behavior, and emotional responses. This involves helping patients develop skills for modifying beliefs, identifying distorted thinking, relating to others in different ways, and changing behaviors.[1] Treatment is based on collaboration between patient and therapist and on testing beliefs. Therapy may consist of testing the assumptions which one makes and identifying how certain of one's usually unquestioned thoughts are distorted, unrealistic and unhelpful. Once those thoughts have been challenged, one's feelings about the subject matter of those thoughts are more easily subject to change. Beck initially focused on depression and developed a list of "errors" in thinking that he proposed could maintain depression, including arbitrary inference, selective abstraction, over-generalization, and magnification (of negatives) and minimization (of positives).
An example of how CT works is this: having made a mistake at work, a man may believe, "I'm useless and can't do anything right at work." Strongly believing this then tends to worsen his mood. The problem may be worsened further if the individual reacts by avoiding activities and then behaviorally confirming the negative belief to himself. As a result, any adaptive response and further constructive consequences become unlikely, which reinforces the original belief of being "useless." In therapy, this example could be identified as a self-fulfilling prophecy or "problem cycle," and the efforts of the therapist and client would be directed at working together to change it. This is done by addressing the way the client thinks and behaves in response to similar situations and by developing more flexible ways to think and respond, including reducing the avoidance of activities and the practicing of positive activities (called Mood repair strategies). If, as a result, the patient escapes the negative thought patterns and dysfunctional behaviors, the negative feelings may be relieved over time.

I have found great comfort on this site so keep in touch.

Best wishes.

Ed